Dark Elf Spearmen
|upkeep_cost = |num_figures = |moves = |melee = |ranged = ( ) |defense = |resist = |hits = |abilities = Ranged Attack x4 }} Dark Elf Spearmen are a type of Normal Unit that can be recruited in Dark Elf Towns, for a Construction Cost of . Spearmen are the most basic combat unit available to most Races, and require no special Town Buildings to create. While Dark Elf Spearmen generally don't pose much of a threat to more advanced units, they do become somewhat stronger through and, given their initial statistics, can benefit the most from the Dark Elves' signature . Dark Elf Spearmen require an Upkeep Cost of only to maintain. However, failure to pay this does result in the unit being disbanded automatically. Unit Properties Physical Description Dark Elf Spearmen are a group of slender humanoids with violet-colored skin and white hair. They wear brown leather clothes and carry spears - long shafts of wood tipped with sharp metal points. These are used for stabbing at enemies within hand-to-hand combat range. Dark Elves are inherently magical beings, and can channel magical energy into a destructive force on a whim. They are also incredibly resistant to magic and other ill effects. Dark Elf Spearmen are a , containing up to soldiers. Attack Properties Dark Elf Spearmen initially possess a very weak Melee Attack, which will only be threatening to other low-tier Normal Units. They have an Attack Strength of only , which has an average "raw" output of - or rather, there is only a 30% chance for each Spearman to inflict any on the opponent, which may then possibly be reduced by it through a Defense Roll. Therefore, Dark Elf Spearmen are highly unlikely to get through any armor at all. They do get better with though, both in strength and accuracy. At the level, the maximum normally attainable, their attacks will actually do 4 times this much - points of "raw" , on average, per Spearman. Characteristic to their Race, Dark Elf Spearmen can wield magic to perform Ranged Attacks four times per battle. These also have an initial strength of , which results in the same average values as the Melee Attack described above. suffer no penalties for range either, meaning that the unit can shoot at targets over any distance with the same efficiency. The magic of Dark Elf Spearmen is considered to come from the Realm, and this is what their Ranged Attacks are associated with. As such, they will trigger the conditional modifiers granted by the , , and spells, and are much less effective against targets bearing these Unit Enchantments. While they are not considered to be direct , and are not nullified outright by Magic Immunity or , the effects' will nonetheless make any opponent possessing them virtually impossible to hurt with these attacks. Defensive Properties The Dark Elf Spearmen possess a Defense score of - just slightly stronger than their attack score. They can deflect about points from Conventional Damage attacks, on average. Unfortunately, this is rarely enough to save them from anything but the weakest attackers. As with most common foot soldiers, each Dark Elf Spearman also has only . In other words, each point of inflicted on this unit will kill off one of its . They do possess a remarkably high Resistance score for their tier though - with , they have a fair chance of avoiding Unit Curses and combat maledictions. All three of these statistics also improve with . Other Properties Dark Elf Spearmen move at a slow , and can only traverse land tiles. The unit has no special movement properties. Basic Strategy Spearmen are the most basic, and typically weakest Normal Unit available to most Races, Dark Elves included. However, they are also the cheapest to produce and, most importantly, maintain, as they are unique in that they require no to be paid for their Upkeep. This makes Spearmen ideal as garrison troops, particularly in non-contested areas of the map. Because of their high count, they also scale well with both and other enhancement effects, although their low initial statistics prevent them from becoming overly powerful. On the other hand, the Dark Elves' strength Ranged Magical Attack is comparably powerful for a Spearmen unit. It matches their Melee Strength, and effectively grants Dark Elf Spearmen a secondary role as a basic Ranged Attack unit. In fact, they possess qualities that in most regards elevate them above the Bowmen of other Races, a prime example being the higher count just mentioned. But Dark Elf Spearmen also have better , and receive no range penalties , making their shots more effective overall. Finally, even with their Race's Construction Cost modifier, they are still cheaper to both recruit and maintain than any Bowmen. The only downside is their lower ammunition count. Ability Overview Ranged Attack x4 * This unit may use a instead of a Melee Attack up to 4 times in each battle. Once the unit's ammo is expended, it must resort to Melee Attacks. Experience Table The following table illustrates how Dark Elf Spearmen improve with Experience. Any properties that are not listed here are not affected by in any way. * To achieve this level, either the Warlord Retort or the spell must be in play. ** To achieve this level, both Warlord and must be in play simultaneously. Average Damage Output The table below details the average amount of "raw" that each in a Dark Elf Spearmen unit will deliver with each type of attack, based on . It can be used in comparison to the target's Defense rating to approximate the chance of hurting that target. Acquisition Dark Elf Spearmen may be recruited in any Dark Elf Town, and require no special Town Buildings in order to create. The Construction Cost of this unit is . Dark Elf Spearmen may also appear as Mercenaries. In this case, they cost between to to hire per unit, based on their - or half that much for Charismatic Wizards. Category:Units Category:Normal Units Category:Dark Elves Category:Spearmen